Everton midfielder James Garner explains where there’s much more to come from him in terms of reaching his potential.
Everton midfielder James Garner in training at Finch Farm this week and (inset) celebrating his first goal for the club at Aston Villa
Some 15 minutes into Everton’s last game with Aston Villa, James Garner enjoyed a landmark moment as he latched on to Amadou Onana’s through-ball, controlling on his right foot and shooting with his left in a single, slick movement to score his first goal for the club.
The strike set the Blues on their way to a 2-1 triumph in their Carabao Cup tie – Unai Emery’s side’s only home defeat in their last 21 matches in a run stretching back to February last year – at a ground where Sean Dyche’s men had been pummelled 4-0 in the Premier League five weeks earlier. Garner followed it up with a cool right foot finish from the edge of the area to set the tone for a 3-0 thrashing of Bournemouth a mere 10 days later but after establishing himself as a regular in the side this term, the 22-year-old now wants to become a more potent forced in the final third.
Abdoulaye Doucoure hasn’t played since going off at half-time in the 2-0 win at Burnley on December 16 but with six goals, he remains Everton’s top scorer on six. Other central midfielders Garner and Onana both have two apiece while Idrissa Gueye has one.
While manager Dyche appreciates the former Manchester United player’s versatility, Garner believes there is much more to come from himself in terms of his all-round game. He said: “It was a big moment for me, (scoring at Villa) I’m hoping to add more goals and assists. That’s what I’m missing from my game.
“I feel I’ve been fairly consistent this season and I feel that I’ve stayed at a good standard throughout the season and sometimes gone above it. Now, for me, it’s adding more goals and assists, it doesn’t just help me, it helps the team and goals and assists win games.
“I feel fit and strong. I am fit and strong, it’s nothing new to me, I played in the Championship for two years and that was two or three times a week so I’m definitely used to playing a high volume of games.
“In my early career so far, I’ve been through all that stuff. I touched on it earlier this week, it’s no different for the top five or six teams, who have got Champions League and Europa League, they’re travelling here, there and everywhere, playing two or three times a week so it’s no different for us.
“I’m happy based on the fact that I’ve been managing to stay fit and playing games, I hardly played last season so it’s my first proper year in the Premier League. I couldn’t have had a better off-season in terms of the summer so I felt ready to come into this season.”
Despite featuring 49 times in all competitions on loan at Nottingham Forest in the season before he came to Everton, Garner had to wait until over two months after Dyche’s appointment for the 3-1 home defeat to Fulham on April 15 to complete his first 90 minutes for the club but he’s now making up for lost time having started 23 of the Blues’ 25 matches so far this term. While he’s pleased with his progress, he believes there is still plenty more scope for further improvement.
Garner said: “When the manager first came in, other lads had been in a lot more training sessions with him earlier on because I was injured, so he got to see all the others first. I’ve come in and had to prove myself.
“I think I am one of the youngest players in the team as well so I have had to prove myself and show the quality. That takes hard work and I am grateful now I am playing and starting every week and hopefully that lasts for the remainder of the season.
“I’ve done it in the Championship but for me personally, the Premier League is the best league in the world so can I compete against the best players in the world and I feel like I’m more than standing my ground. I feel that I’ve not even reached becoming the player that I know I can be.
“I feel that in the Championship I definitely reached it and confidence definitely helps when it comes to reaching your maximum week in, week out. I feel like I’m nowhere near that at the moment but hopefully I can get to that soon, putting in better performances and helping the team more.
He added: “Can I really now take it to the next step? I know I can compete and not look out of place.
“And now I feel, I don’t want to say one of the main guys, but I feel an important part to the team. I feel I have always been an important player in the teams I’ve been in, in terms of throughout the academy and then going on loan.
“Now it’s just becoming an important and reliable player in the team and taking that next step, adding more goals and assists into my game and hopefully my confidence keeps on growing and I play without any doubts and fear. Ask any footballer, when you are playing with confidence, you are playing at the top level, hopefully I can get to that.”
